Very useful video, I've been wanting to get one of these for years! That final one you showed is especially tempting, the look of IN-14 tubes is wonderful. Wish it had adjustable LED color though, so I'd probably just keep it turned off.

Bought an IN14 nixie clock clock on Ebay from a guy in Poland from memory. Wooden enclosure & adjustable back light for $70AUD delivered. Was a bit sceptical that it would be any good, but was even better than expected. Still going strong after at least 9 years & if the power goes off it still keeps time. There are some real electronic whizzes in Eastern Europe that do some fabulous products.

I happened across one of your videos last week and found myself watching your older ones well into the night. If you don't have your own show on the BBC ... you should. From what I have seen you could probably explain how a doorknob works and make it interesting. Thanks and looking forward to your new additions.

@Techmoan

8 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@BLY99

8 жыл бұрын

+Daytona Florida How dare you make a complimentary comment that thanks him for his hard work instead of asking some silly question that is already answered in the video and insulting him! How very dare you sir! lol

@danwoodward23

8 жыл бұрын

totally agree. I think he does it all by himself too.

@dijohnson7

8 жыл бұрын

+BoloYung Lol.

@danielcardwell5457

8 жыл бұрын

techmoan's videos are absolutely incredible

Thanks for the review of the Nixie Clocks. I ordered the Millclock one, you showed in your video, this morning, directly from their website. It's very reasonably priced, when you consider how expensive these clocks can get. Like how it exposes the internal electronics so the clock has an "old tech meets new tech" visual effect.

I got the Chronix one off of Amazon for about $250. When you mentioned the crease in the case I knew what you were talking about. I had to find the right spot in the TV room that displayed it properly. Definitely worth it though, it's truly unique.

Love the bit at the end. I have the DDPai M6+ and love it now that the beeping has stopped!

Thanks, Mat, for another very nice video! Never saw those clocks before. I would love to own one, but with a steampunk design without ugly LED "effect lighting" or plastic covers/basements. Anyway, keep up your great work here on KZread!

fucking leds what the hell man why would they do this

@2small4theMall

8 жыл бұрын

i kinda like them

@TheEPROM9

8 жыл бұрын

That is why there is an option to turn them off. I am not keen on LEDs in Nixie clocks or watches, but the fact you can turn them off means I don't mind them being there.

@TailsFurse

8 жыл бұрын

Haha, too cool seeing you here! I would agree with ya though, if I had one of these, no less would be on in my unit!

@1marcelfilms

8 жыл бұрын

hello haha

@mipmipmipmipmip

8 жыл бұрын

who doesn't like blue LEDs!!!

That date animation is nothing short of gorgeous.

Speaking as a person who has designed and built several Nixie clocks... 1) The builder of the "knocked together" side view clock is not to blame. Those tubes are IN-4s which are well known for gross inconsistencies of envelope size and digit orientation, classic examples of Soviet "quality control". For best results substitute the American (Burroughs) or European (Valvo) tubes that the IN-4s were copied from. 2) Your IN-18 clock looks to be a dead rip-off of the late Jeff Thomas' Nixi-Chron design. 3) Your clocks flicker on camera because the designers cheaped out and multiplexed the display. This is NOT a sign of a quality product. Nixies are intended for direct drive, not multiplexing. 4) Cathode poisoning refers to small amounts of metal getting sputtered onto unlit digits from lit digits. If left unchecked, seldom used digits will develop dark areas on them and look like they have "rot", or even eventually refuse to light at all. Cycling digits i.e. slot machine effects is thought by some to help prevent the sputter from building up. Better solution is to design the clock to run the tubes at the correct voltage and current specs, thus avoiding poisoning in the first place. That means no multiplexing since multiplexing requires overdriving the tubes (excessive current) severely in order to achieve acceptable brightness from tubes that are only lit 1/6 of the time.

@prepperjonpnw6482

6 жыл бұрын

Wow! You seem to know a lot about these things. Maybe you can help me out. I would like to have a couple of these. One for me and definitely one for my grandson. Can you tell me how to build one? Or where I can purchase one? I would appreciate any advice you have for me. Thank you, Jon

5 жыл бұрын

Interesting how this person never even responded to the kind people who asked questions.

@dalesedgwick858

5 жыл бұрын

Typical anti-Soviet American propaganda. The People's nixie tubes are much better than those imperialist tubes made by soulless industrialists. Get in the Lada. Light up a filterless cigarette and lets go back to the Motherland comrade!

@donmoore7785

5 жыл бұрын

The video states verbally and in print that the flicker is only in the camera recording.

@julianbinder2371

3 жыл бұрын

@@donmoore7785 yes, but it means the tubes are used with too high voltage as they are only on for a part of the time and have full brightness

Hahah.. gotta love fake chinese stuff on ebay. It's not just memory cards either. They sell 18650 batteries that claim riduclous amounts of mAh, only to find out they are actually less than normal batteries. Chinese flashlights advertise ridiculous amounts of lumens that aren't even as bright as a regular flashlight.

@prepperjonpnw6482

6 жыл бұрын

The 8-Bit Guy I’m looking at my 18650 batteries from China in the charger right now lol. So do you think they really hold 9800mAh like it says on the side lol. I mean I did pay a whole $1 USD for each of them lol. Yes I’m being funny lol

@333panda

6 жыл бұрын

How do you order pizza

Thank you so much Techmoan! Fell directly in love with the MILLCLOCK and ordered one :-)

I would encourage people to have a go at building their own nixie clocks or other such devices. It can be heaps of fun. Helps if you are comfortable with learning from failure!

I've been looking at getting a Nixie clock for a long time, I'm big on Halloween and I love the old fashioned, Frankenstein look to them and the orange glow of the numbers. Thanks for the video Techmoan, really enjoyed it!

Thanks for this video. Have wanted a nixie clock for a while, but couldn't justify hundreds of pounds on one, but the one you linked is perfect. Now my only problem is waiting for it to arrive!

Awesome! I actually bought the Millclock after watching your nixie watch video! As well as a magic eye VU meter, a nixie thermometer, oh and a $1000 valve pre-amp, you sir have cursed me.

Hey techmoan, I'm in Copenhagen right now and I found out that in front of the Copenhagen train station there is a huge nixie tube clock, it's really amazing. I thought it could interest you! Regards,

@Techmoan

8 жыл бұрын

Do you have a picture?

@busog97641

8 жыл бұрын

Yes, that would be interesting to see.

@busog97641

8 жыл бұрын

xaenon Thank you. :')

@numsefisken

7 жыл бұрын

I have never noticed that.

@26155101

7 жыл бұрын

TheGiuggio ep&'. K.

Another AWESOME Video!!! Thank you for all of your videos. It’s obvious you enjoy making them.

Congratulations on your Patreon goal, keep these videos coming!

Very nice of you to provide so many different countries eBay links :)

Alright, of course I understand the need to get a ready-made nixie clock. But the kit you showed for me seems to be the perfect thing for electronics beginners! It's really not that hard to put together. With a cheap soldering iron you should be done in two hours at most. And learning to solder and building little electronics projects is one of the best hobbies ever :) Do it!

Just ordered one from eBay. Not the same as the ones you showed, but hopefully your affiliate link will still give you something. :) I got one of the wood base ones from Ukraine. CAN'T WAIT! Love the channel. I wish you could see the mame arcade cabinet I made. You would love it. Keep up the good work.

I'm keen to make one now :D The acrylic enclosures are a nice touch!

As usual not disappointed watching your videos, you always have something interesting. Thanks for the video, I love looking at Nixie tubes. Something soothing about them.

Around 2000, my mom worked in an internal control department for a big store chain. I was with her when she was overseeing people who cleaned out a basement of an old hardware store. They were throwing out everything, including nixie tubes. If I only knew back then.. 😭 I managed to find a Fiat 500 gauge cluster in mint condition lol. That was the only thing I took home.

I love Nixieclocks. I built one from a kit about 2 month ago.... its working and all but I am still looking for a cool case / frame to put it in

Thanks for your review. I am considering buying one of the nixie clock kits as I'm an electronics engineer & hobbyist and it's always good to see what other people think and what's available. Something I noticed during your comments of the Millclock from the Ukraine is that when you showed the underside of the unit with the legend 'Properly Assembled in Ukraine' a couple of 'bodge' resistors were clearly visible beneath the word Ukraine and what looks like a surface mount capacitor mounted on its side between two of the tracks directly beneath the second 'S' also appears to be an after thought, which I found quite ironic. When I use the term 'bodge' this is no reflection of the build quality of the device, more an electronics engineering term for on the fly design changes showing a lack of thorough product testing prior to having the PCB (circuit board) manufactured or lack of willingness to have a PCB remade following changes to component availability. I did think the clock in question was perhaps a little dim and a brightness control for the nixie tubes / neon indicator would be beneficial. I was also wondering if the metal legs of the neon indicator are sheathed as potentially harmful voltages could be present on the bare leads?

Hi. I just got the 4-tube IN-14 clock. Its menus are different from the one on your video, though the unit looks identical. I appreciated the screen image of the instruction sheet you have - they got me closer to my goal (but not all the way) ... I was able to get the clock set to 12-hour function. There is a slick instruction brochure included with the clock now, but the instructions for navigating the menu are unclear - not step-by-step. I've attempted to contact Millclock, but haven't heard back yet (it's only been a few hours). Anyway, I'm enjoying the clock - all thanks to your video!

Anything using nixie tubes always look cool

i was just looking at these kits last week and here you go and make a video... i think that is a sign

Yet another great video, I always liked the look of the nixie clocks in your video's. After seeing this video I want one myself.

I saw a physical website visit counter made from Nixie tubes in an old cask at Aberfeldy Distillery in Scotland.

For the US: Rectified 120 VAC wall current (~170 VDC) + Nixie Tubes (choose current limiter resistor according to your tube) + HV5622 shift register + Arduino + your choice of a DS1307 RTC kit + cheap push buttons + 10k pot controlling blank pin on shift register via PWM from Arduino for brightness + your own code = home made nixie clock. Add a NPN transistor/relay setup to a digital pin on the arduino and an air raid siren for an alarm. Labor intensive but satisfying (except for first thing in the morning...). Definitely easier to buy the clock but not as fun.

Pleasant surprise... Thanks for the Saturday video

Love the Videos, Thanks again for the Great Retro Tech

Love the comedy at the end Matt.

Hacking to the gate.

@MrManBuzz

8 жыл бұрын

El Psy Kongroo.

@Manudyne

7 жыл бұрын

SONUVABITCH

do the smaller budget nixie clocks come with US plugs?

Most nixie tubes have more than one cathode. If a cathode is illuminated, material is sputtered from this active cathode onto the glass envelope and the inactive cathodes. You've probably seen darkened nixie tubes with a gray or silvery coating on the inside of the glass. This is the extreme case of sputtered material on the glass at or near the end of tube life. If a cathode is not used for a long time while others are lit, the coating on the inactive electrode(s) gets thicker and thicker. This coating is highly resistive, so if it gets thick enough, it prevents the inactive cathode from glowing. Then if the inactive cathode gets switched on, parts of it will be dimmer or totally dark. Different tube types have different vulnerability to cathode poisoning, but normally it takes thousands of hours until it becomes a problem.

Do you have a link for the eBay seller with the 256GB SD cards? I need some of those. £2/each sounds reasonable.

@lpphoenix131

8 жыл бұрын

I'd be careful buying high capacity SD cards for cheap. Typically they're fake and can't hold much anyway. Same thing with USB flashdrives. They get their firmware hacked and it shows up as the right capacity but it's fake.

@benadams6332

8 жыл бұрын

He said they were brand name though, so I'm sure they are good.

@MarshMellowChronic

8 жыл бұрын

samsung are the only one that currently make a legit 256GB micro sd card.

@benadams6332

8 жыл бұрын

I recommend watching the full video before commenting, especially the last bit.

@dijohnson7

8 жыл бұрын

I have some I can sell you, 1TB cards for 50p each, the brand is SunDisc, you know, the originators of SD cards, ;-)

Damn you! You’ve just cost me £100 for something I didn’t really need lol. My mate introduced me to your videos and I’ve been binge watching over the last few days and I’ve noticed the Nixie’s, well now I’ve gone and ordered one haven’t I! I’ve got an 4 digit IN-14 one on order, not quite the same as the one you have in the video but quite similar. Can’t wait for it to arrive now it will really fit in with my retro industrial metal furniture.

Thanks for this...Coolest thing I've seen in a long time.

I bought the one from Millclock and wow is it small! It's still totally awesome but small.

would I be able to power this in the US without damaging it? I'm just wondering if I would need any kind of converter to safely run this.

excellent, as always

Terrific video! The last bit was quite humorous! Thank you! Cheers! :-)

Very nice video! Thanks for the recommendations!

Great review as ever. My question is how expensive are these to run. I know little about electronics and ask because these are on all (or almost all) the time. TIA.

Will Millclock's products work with Canadian/American voltages? In other words, will I need not only an adaptor for the EU plug, but also a voltage converter?

That bit at the end is pure comedy gold!

I've been waiting for this video to come along, thanks! PS: very very funny ending, keep on that!

8:57 I just wonder, since neon tubes as the one (the dot) in the middle usually run at about 80 volts or so, if the leads going to it are insulated and/or whether or not one could potentially get shocked of it. Of course I assume one would have to grab the clock in a quite unusual way to actually touch both leads at the same time, but still... If there are bare wires with a reasonably high voltage, well, not sure what to think about that.

During the slot-machine mode, it looks like one of the tubes wasn't lighting up a digit on the tube second from the right (third from the left) at 8:21 in the video. Looks like the 7 digit. When I ordered my nixie clock over 10 years ago it had an option for a Euro-style GPS input to automatically set the date and time, you just don't see that feature anywhere anymore. It uses the bigger tubes, and I was plagued from one seller to get 2 tubes with different digits "burnt-out". I don't know if any manufactures are making new tubes, most of these are Cold-War relics, like all the SBM-20 Geiger tubes. Great video! Makes me want to take mine out of mothballs.

What do you think of the new lightening port headphones that will be made in the iPhone 7??, and would the sound quality would be really better than the 3.5 mm jack? (Digital vs Analogue)

another great informative video !! thank you mate

As always, Fantastic.

This video just sold 17 of the millclock in the last 4 hours. The seller will have a busy week (after some headscratching, what happened) after his normal once per week sells. ;)

What is the name of the Nixie Tube Clock kit that you showed in the video? I really enjoy building kits like those

I love the looks of the nixies, but had to settle for a cold cathode fluorescent digital display. I built my clock from a kit, Heathkit, when I was in high school. It is still kicking which is pretty good for a first kit build from 1972. OMG, we dodged a horrific bullet. Clarkson was making noise about coming to the US to make his next show.

I've always wanted one, but could never justify the price. I hadn't considered buying a kit. Looks like it might be fun.

Is the small one strictly 24 hr? Any 12 Hr/US options?

The puppet skit at the end cracks me up. And the contents not bad either.

I wonder if those exist with a DCF77 (or your regional time signal) receiver or a connector for one - that would be quite fantastic i guess.

Hi, you probably know them already but in case you don't, it might interest you to know there is another tube of the kind called dekatron. I have seen a frequency counter and a clock made with them. I'll take this chance to thank you for all your vintage electronics videos they are fantastic!

Great stuff indeed, I was actually in the market for one of these .

Thanks for the australian store links!!

I made one with green leds. It gives them creepy dirty look. It runs in rtc and display remains off until it detects a clap sound,views time then goes off. Will make an instructable on it soon.

I had the second clock. Never noticed about the 5's, haha I believe that there is an option to make the ":" signs blink.

Any idea of the average lifespan of a tube, provided you keep it plugged in 24/7 ?

I love those things. Nice!

I got a 6 digit nixie clock for Christmas a couple years ago. It lasted a few months before one of the components on the board burned up (and I mean really burned up, it scorched the wood it was sitting on) and stopped working. I would assume that the tubes all still work, and since those are the expensive part of the clock, I would love to find someone who could make a board with good components and use my tubes so I could save some money. It was really cool while I had it, and i really want another one, bit I really don't like the idea of spending another $200 for something that could go up in smoke in a couple months again

Nixie tubes would make great score displays for a steampunk-themed pinball machine.

I got 2 of the Chonixes clocks. They are really nice.

I honestly have to say that as much as I love your videos, they have one really big drawback. They are bad for my bank account. ;)

Now I kind of want one of these! :D

"I thought it was a lot, until I noticed it was a pack of 10!". I couldn't stop laughing

brilliant, and I love the muppets type thing at the end ;)

I'd like to have a nixie clock, they look pretty cool, closest I have is an "LED Aurora Chromatography" clock, which is just six 10mm tricolour LEDs inside of glass vials, looks neat when lit up, but at night it's just far too bright to leave it running (even though it has an auto-dimmer, it's still waaaaaay too bright)... Still have two more of them to build too, which I bought last year, and never got a round tuit for them... :P

Thanks a lot for that Video. I have been looking for such a cool Clock for a time now. That second One is a bargain. Bought. :)

Thanks for this, and also the muppets!

how about 12 hour display? in the auction and on the box it says it will do 12 and 24 format thanks

Nice video. Shame that you didn't get around making that kit nixie clock. Yay to extra puppet content, that one is hilarious! Had almost exactly that discussion 2 weeks ago, ROFL.

Tge clock I got suprised. It said it only suplyed UK adapters, but then I came in with a nice us plug, so no bulky converter needed.

Thank you for another interesting video. I have been through most of your videos and enjoy them very much! Always informative, interesting and entertaining, Absolutely love your Muppet characters(or are they puppets?) Anyway, look forward to your next video, as always thanks for posting. Cheers!

Am not much of a clock person but this looks pretty sweet and I think it would go well on my fallout shelf Idea I have.

Does anyone know where i can get glass or plastic covers for my nixie clock? I don't want anything to damage the circuits.

what do you think about the Qinpu D1? I think you would like it ;)

Hi there, I noticed that you have reviewed a fair few dashcams. I am in the market for one which has GPS and a high quality image sensor. Would you have any recommendations for me? Thanks

Do you still have the kit? I’ve been looking into building one with my dad because we are both very interested in this type of stuff...

can you recommend a good complete kit?

I had a friend that built one of these back in the early 80's that was sold as a kit from Heathkit. I don't know if they are still in business or not.

Techmoan, what would you recommend. This counter will be going above my door, and I want it to be seen from a distance. The IN18, or the R|Z568M?

@hewfil1

7 жыл бұрын

I've also seen in videos of the R|Z568M, that it flashes through each number before going to the next. Is that just a part of the programming, or native to the R|Z568M. Because if I can get the same effect from the IN18, it'll help change my decision being the R|Z568M is much more expensive.

I have to wonder about their accuracy...that is to say, after let's say a month, how many seconds have they gained or lost? I have to wonder if there are any which are controlled by MSF, WWVB, DCF77, JJY, etc.

what's the power draw on nixie tube clocks like?

Does anyone know if those tubes get very hot? I know someone with a tube amp and I know that thing heats up the whole room, but obliviously these clocks are using completely different tubes.

The puppet show is like a post-credit goody after a movie. Laughing out loud!

So when's the video of you assembling your Nixie clock kit coming out?

@jaekoff5050

8 жыл бұрын

I would love to see that

Whats the music you use at the end of your shows man?

Can you do a review on the EE action cam

Are people able to use old tube amp tubes for this